Friendship usually involves two people who have commonality and mutual positive regard. "Friends are the family you choose for yourself" can be found on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs. There is also a Facebook Page devoted to the Friendship experience:
This page describes Friendship as "a relationship between two or more people who hold mutual affection for each other."
And to quote my 10 year-old son "A friend is someone who likes you, who treats you well, who sticks with you think & thin, someone who is honest (hopefully), and someone is trustworthy and treats you with respect!" Children seem to keep the friendship concept pretty simple and straightforward, but with Jesus as a friend it seems anything but!
"Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus" is a well known hymn I have sang often as a child and young adult. How could he be a friend? It always seemed odd to me to be told that Jesus should be a friend of ours! Jesus? A friend? What a strange and marvelous concept! How can this be? I mean, really? Aside from the obvious...no physical contact, no audible voice, no shared hobbies or interests that you can engage in together & bond over, how about the fact that he is the King of Kings! All Powerful! Lord of ALL?! Hardly the typical friendship dynamic!
Jesus as traditionally understood is on a Spiritual pedestal...as God's Only Son above us mere mortal men. It's this inherent inequality that for me seems to undermine His ability to be a genuine friend as we are on such uneven ground. With this understanding He seems to me to be more of a mentor, a Father figure, someone to look up to and admire...and perhaps to worship, not a friend! Not to mention if He is All-Knowing, All powerful and Omnipotent why would Jesus even need friends?!
Its just got me thinking...can Jesus really be a friend? It seems either the definition of friendship must be altered and adjusted or my understanding of Jesus does. Perhaps I could be His friend if Jesus was a Spiritual brother...someone who could relate to my humanness and who is an equal to me in the eyes of God.
I'll just have to admit I'm not sure this true friendship thing is even possible...but I really love the idea! It would just be so absolutely cool & perfectly wonderful to have Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One as a friend! Maybe I'll just call on Him & invite Him to hang out & see what happens! ;)
Do you consider Jesus to be a friend of yours?
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